Game apparatus



June 11, 1940. R, L. wlLLls 2,204,199

GAME APPARATUS INVENTOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 R. L. WILLIS GAME APPARATUS Filed June 22, 1938 NI/ENTOR June 11, 1940.y

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- GAME APPARATUS I Filed June 22, 1939 s sheets-sheet 5 5 /A/Y 28 g Er w fogli- I En: 3l-65 Patented June l1, 1940 UNITEDy STATES PATENT LOFFICE 2,204,199 p GAME APPARATUS Russell Leo Willis, Steubenville, Ohio Application June 22, 193s, lserial No. 215,086

5 Claims.

My invention is an improved form of devices now available which are designed to permit a person to play in solo fashion various card games such as contract bridge, whist, etc. It has the advantage of being more compact, cheaper to manufacture, requiring fewerparts, -and of presenting to the user of the device the information desired in a form easier to understand and is also easier to operate.

v It also eliminates a fault common to devices now on the market of revealing to the user of such devices of information concerning the sequence of play prior to the time the user wants such information. It also provides a device which can be made up in more beautiful and artistic forms than are permissible with present forms of such devices.

My device could be made up in sizes small enough to carry in a coat pocket or in a ladys purse, so that it could be used by persons traveling on trains or elsewhere where devices of the i now available type `are so large and bulky as to limit their use. My device also permits the inscription on the card member of a plurality of different games thus eliminating the delays encountered in loading and re-loading the cases used in the devices now available.

My invention involves a new and novel arrangement of the card-value indicia on the card member. The arrangement which kI use, although varying in small degree from arrangements heretofore used is a novel arrangement and by virtue of this arrangement it permits of a great simplification of the aperture feature of such devices. In devices now on the market it is necessary to have a minimum of 52 apertures through the casein order to reveal the play of the 52 cards in the game. In my device this numz ber of apertures is reduced from y52 to only foury ladaptable for use in the play of such games as pinochle, five-hundred and other such games. It

' is also adaptable to the play ofthe new game of contract bridge requiring the use of sixty-five cards instead of fifty-two cards.

I attain these and other desirable features by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in` which Figure 1 is a plan `viewof one embodiment of the device.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional View on line A-A of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view on line A-A of a different embodiment of the device, showing a modified type of a case member.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the top surface of a game-card which forms part of the device.

Figure 5 is a plan view of another embodiment of the device,

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view on line B-B of Figure 5.

Figure I is a vertical sectional view on line C-C of Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a plan view taken on line D-D of lFigure 6.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views. Inasmuch as some of the indicia require the use of numerals I `to I3 inclusive, the lowest numeral used to indicate a partis I4. In explaining the. device it will be necessary to use terms commonly used in the card game known as contract bridge. In this game it is customary for two players to play as partners against another pair of players. vThe game is usually played about a rectangular table, and the players seated to the north, east, south, and west of the table are commonly referred to as North, East, South, and West respectively. This custom will be followed in this description, with the modification that in the use of the apparatus only one player will be needed, the South player, and the other three players are imaginary players. North and South are partners, and East and West are partners. In the description of the play of the card values itis intended to illustrate the use of the device for playing a game `of contract bridge and the play is designed to conform to, customs and ruleswood, sheet-metal, hardened rubber, Bakelite,

fibre-boardor other similar material. An aper-` ture IGW is cut or stamped through the top I5.

I5. Member I 8W can be manually moved length- .apertures in top I5.

Wise in the slot I9W in such manner as to position the shutter I1W so as to block-off aperture IEW, or to leave member IEW in an open position. The top of member IBW is enlarged slightly so that it does not fall down through slot HW.

In the use of the device, aperture I6W is designed to represent the position of player West A similar aperture IN is cut through top I5, and

at this point there is a similar shutter I'IN, button-member ISN and slot ISN. This group of members represents player North Another group of members, aperture IEE, shutter ITE, button-member ISE and slot ISE serve for player East, and a fourth group of members, aperture IBS, shutter ITS, slot IBS and button member IBS serve for player' Southf There is also cut through top It another aperture 26. This can be widened as desired by `extending it as shown. at 26a. This aperture does not require anyV shutter member.

I have shown all of the shutter members attached to the under side of top I5. If desired they could be attached to the top of top I5. They could be of any desired shape as long as they are designed to obturate or expose indicia which may be positioned at the apertures. Similarly the shape of apertures IGN, ISE., I GS Vand IBW could be circular or any other desired shape.

A shutter-closure member 2l is positioned against the under side of top Iii. This is preferably a nat sheet of metal which is of such shape that its edges will cci-operate with the shutters. In using the apparatus the player will slide shutter members downwardly to open the apertures IiN, ItE, IES and IG. He will later want to close these shutters. Member 2l is so shaped that its edges-25W, MN, 25E and QIS adjoin the lower edges of the shutters, so that when the operator slides member 2| upwardly these edges will engage the shutters and move themto a closed position. Member ZI is movably attached to top I5 by means of the button-members 22, which are designed to move slidably in the slots 23 which are cut through top I5. It will be seen thatin this way the operator can close all four shutters simultaneously 'with one operation instead of four separate operations. I have shown member ZI extended to form the arm 32 to which is attached a coil spring member 29. The other end of member 29 is attached to top I5 by means of the' pin member E5. The coil spring 29 is normally in tension and holds member 2| in a position toward the lower end of the case, that is, with its edges out of engagement with the shutter members when the shutters are ina closed position.

Member 2l is a larger sized aperture through top I5. It has a cover member 28 which. is attached to top t?,l by the 'hinge 3i. Cover 28 can be raised or lowered to expose aperture El! as desired.

Referring to Figure 4, I show a card member 3U. This can be made of paper, cardboard, cloth or other material on which` indicia can be inscribed, vprintedor painted. It is designed to insert card S6 into case IV in such manner that it will be positioned underneath top Iii so that the indicia on card St can be viewed through the In Figure 2 I show this card insertedrinto case It by passing it through the slots il which are located on the sides of case It. In Figure 3, I have shown card 3s linserted in case UIA by passing it through slot (I8 on` the right hand edge of case 15A, making a double-turn around baffle plate 24 and passing out of case IEA through slot 48A.

My device differs from other devices in that my device calls for card 30 to be a manually movable card whereas in present devices the card corresponding to card 3i? is kept stationary d uring the play 4of the game. These other devices therefore require a multiplicity of apertures in the top ofthe case, whereas I employ a smaller number and provide means for moving the various indicia to this smaller number of apertures. The use of a movable card member instead of a stationary card member is a novel feature of my device. It will be readily apparent that this is not merely an advantage in manufacturing cost but that by reducing the number of apertures at which the user must look it greatly reduces the confusion in the play of the game.

Oncard 3! I show a group of indicia in row 32. This consists of the announcement 38 which states the card-holdings of player Southf In row 32 I also show another announcement 39 which gives the c-ard-holdings of player North who is the Dummy.

On card 3i! is also a row of indicia 33. These indicia represent, reading from right to left, the sequence of bids and vplay of the card-holdings of player North. Similarly on card 3H there appear rows 3ft, 35, and 36 which represent respectively the sequences of bids and plays of the card-holdings of players West, East, and South It will be noted that the distance from the right hand edge of card 3i! to the first indicium in rows 33, SIS, 35, and 3s varies This is a novel arrangement of such indicia on a game card.

I also show another row of indicia in row 3l. As will be explained later, these indicia are used for the proper positioningof card 3l] in the play of the game.

All indicia necessary for the play of .one complete game of contract bridge are shown on card 3E positioned to the right of line marked M-M. If desired card 3i! could be cut off at line M-.-M. However, if so desired, card 3Q can be a card of any desired length and there can be inscribed on an extension of card 3i) beyond lVI--M' the complete set of indicia for a second game, and for as many additional games as may be desired. I have shown aty It a fragment of an announcement for a second game, and in rows 34,' 35, and 3l' a few of-the indicia for this second game. Lack of space on the drawings precludes showing all the indicia of the second game or subsequent games, as indicated by the cut-away lines.

In the use of the apparatus, the operator closes all the shutters and slides card 3l) into case It, sliding same from left to right until the indicium A in row 3l appears at aperture 2S. He then opens door 28, and finds that he can read announcement 3B through aperture 2l. Using a pencil, he copies onl a pad of paper 45 the card holdings indicated by announcement 38. Paper t5 is held in a pad holder 46, which has markings as shown in Figure l. The user, in this case would tabulate in the row headed' i with the spade marking, all the spades shown in announcement 3B, namely the jack and the seven, Similarly he would tabulate in 'the row headed with a heart marking, the hearts in- I" dicated in announcement 38, namely, the ace, jack`, nine and seven He would do like- Wise with the diamonds and the clubs He then studies his hand, makes a mental bid,

and then opens shutter ITS, permitting him to L' check his mental bid. Thus in sequence he opens shutters ITW, ITN and ITE. He then moves card 3U to the right, after having first closed the four shutters and having closed door 28. Card 30 is moved to the right until the indicium B is centered in aperture 26. The user then opens in sequence shutters ITS, ITW, ITN, and ITE. The shutters are again closed, card`30 is moved to the right until indicium C is centered at'aperture 26, andthe process repeated until no indicia appear at apertures IEW, IBN, ISE, and IES. The user then moves card 30 to the right until indicium l is centered at aperture 26. Inasmuch as South secured the contract, the user opens shutter ITW and this reveals that player West has played as his first card the 8-of-hearts. The user then opens door 28 and is able to read announcement 39 through aperture 2T. Using a pencil, he copies on pad-of-paper 42 the cardholdings indicated, listing the spades, hearts,

diamonds and clubs in the columns provided for him. 42 is held in pad-holder 44, on which are inscribed the markings 43 as shown in Figure 1. Member 44 is not rigidly attached to top I5. It can be moved to various positions on top I depending on which player is supposed to be the Dummy.

Pad-holder 46 is preferably rigidly attached to top I5 but does not have to be so attached.

The user then makes a mental selection from the card holdings shown on paper 42. He then opens shutter ITN, and checks his selection. He then makes a pencil scratch mark through the S-Of-hearts, inasmuch'as this is the indicium which appeared at aperture IEN. This scratch mark indicates to the user that this particular card has been played once and is not to be replayed in this game. He then opens shutter ITE, revealing the queen of hearts. I-Ie then makes 4 I a mental selection from his own card holdings and checks it by opening shutter ITS. This reveals the ace of spades, and the user draws a pencil scratch mark through that card in his listing on paper 45.

He makes a pencil mark in the column headed N-S, indicating that the North-and-South partnership has won one trick. He then closes the door 2T, and closes the four shutters, vand moves card 30 to the right until the numeral 2 is centered at aperture 26. He then opens in sequence shutters ITS, ITW, ITN, and I TE. Each time a card is played he scratches it off the lists on papers 42 and 45, and each time a trick is won, he makes a mark in column headed N-S or E-W depending on which partnership wins. It will be seen that the user is thus keeping a running record of which cards have been played, and how many tricks each partnership J has taken.

The user proceeds in the manner indicated until all `thirteen tricks have been played. He then closes the shutters, and tabulates his score. In order to furnish the player with a check on his tribulations, I have shown at the end of the rows f the correct number of tricks taken by each partnership, in this case, tricks by Northand South and 3 tricks by East-andeW'est. These marks appear in rows 36 and 35 respectively. I have also shown the correct point`score, in this case, 130 in row 33. These markings can be viewed by the user by positioning the marking end at aperture 26 and opening the correct shutters.

If the card is of the type on which several games are inscribed, the user then moves card to the right until the index mark A appears at the case, and positioned between the top I5A` and the bottom of the case. In this type the card is inserted under this baille member and then passes over its top, as illustrated in Figure 3. Otherwise the construction of the case I4A is similar to that of case I4 in Figure 1. The card comes out of case through slot 48A.

In Figures 5 to 8 inclusive I have shown an improved form of the device which incorporates improved methods of positioning the card member 30. In this type the case I4B is in the form of an open-topped box. The top I5B is attached `to the case I4B by means of the hinges 48. In this type the card member 3D is wound around the roller member 49, which serves as a pay-out spool. One end of the roller member 49 is journalled in the upper wall of the case I 4B and the other end is journalled in the diaphragm wall 50. The roller member 49 is free to rotate.

The free end of the card 30 is passed over the horizontal table member 55 which is positioned inside of the case I4B and beneath the top I5B. The free end is attached by some suitable means to the roller member 52 which serves as a receiving spool.' One end of roller member 52 is journalled in the upper wall of the case I4B and the other end is journalled in the diaphragm wall 50. I have shownthe roller member 52 as being extended through the wall 50 and being further journalled in the lower wall of case I4B. This construction could be varied by leaving out the diaphragm Wall 50 and journalling the lower ends of roller members 49 and 52 in the lower wall of case |413. The method of attaching the card member 30 to the roller member 52 may vary. The card 30 may be simply wrapped around the roller member 52 several times and depend on friction for its connection or a spuror spokemember such as shown by the numeral 56 may protrude from the roller member 52 and engage the slots 54 in the card member 30.

A wheel member 5I is rigidly attached to the roller member 52 in such manner that rotation of the wheel 5I will cause rotation of the roller member 52. The size of the wheel 5I is such that a portion of it extends up through the slot 53 which is cut through the top I5B. The edge of the wheel 5I is preferably milled or otherwise roughened. When the user of the device wishes to advance the card 311 under the apertures in the top I 5B he rotates the wheel 5I which causes the card 30 to wind'up on the roller member 52.

If desired, the wheel5l could be positioned out side of the case by mounting it rigidly on a part of the roller member 52 which could pass through a hole in the case I4B to outside of the case.

Referring to Figure 4, particular attention is directed to the order of arrangement on card 30 of the rows 33, 34, 35, and 36. Identifying these rows by the players which they represent, it will be seen that the order of arrangement, reading from top to bottom is North, West, East, and then South Inasmuch asv North and South are partners, and East and West are partners it will be seen that the order of aru rangement is such that the two adjacent linterior rows represent two players who are partvlll),

ners and that the two exterior rows represent 'lo isort.

: then Southj or could read West, North Southf and then East, or could vary to read West, Southf North, and then East. The important thing is that the two adjacent ntevrior rows should represent players who are partners, and the two exterior rows should represent players who are partners and the opponents oi the iirst pair of partners.

In the reading of maps the public has been educated to consider the upper, the right-hand, the lower, and the left-hand edges oi' the man to represent respectively the direction north, east, south., and west.

There have appeared in books and elsewhere tables of the card indiciav somewhat similar to the tabulation shown on 3G, But it has bcc customary to arrange the rows in what mi. called a round--the-compass order, such as having the iirst row represent the card holdings oi' player North and the second, third and fourth rows represent the cardholdings respecyely of players Eastj South and West It will be readily seen that a card with the indicia arranged in rows in this round-the-compass order could not be used in a device oi this If it were used it would present the card holdings of players Northf East, South, and West at the apertures which in accordance with the system of map-reading would represent respectively the positions north, east, south and further south, or in some other distorted arrangement. Any arrangement of the apertures to co-operate with such a round-the compass order on the card would violate the desirable arrangement that the apertures be in a quasi-recl tangular arrangement. This would result in considerable confusion in the play of the game. The arrangement in the form I show permits the use or many fewer apertures and produces a result not obtainable with the usual order of arrangement.

If additional apertures through the top are required they could be added. For instance, it might be desired to have an aperture through the top l5 which could co-operate with scoring- ,1, indicia inscribed on the card 3B in the same manner as is shown by aperture 3Q and scoring-indicia 68 in Figures l and 9 of the device illustrated in Il. S. l Patent Number 1,988,587. This arrangement could take the place of the scoring by making pencil marks on the paper 45. The card 39 could show various combinations of card holdings for various players. Any of the commonly used devices for advancing a sheet Nof paper a predetermined space could be added to the device lfor advancing card 3l] as much as desired.

I have described a simple form of my invention. Many variations of details and elaborations of this simple form can be made and still fall within the scope of the invention.

If a card member of the multi-game type is used, it might be desirable to use a flexible card. This card could be wound on a pay-out spool which could be attached to the case; the card could be passed belt-fashion under the top mem- "ber of the case and then wound on a receiving -in the samev manner that the film is advanced for progressive exposure of parts of the lm by rotating the receiving spool to cause the card to wind up on this spool.

It will be noted that the card member and the top member of the form of the device which I have described are relatively movable with respect to each other. In the type which I have illustrated the top remains stationary and the card member moves. The construction could be varied by having the card member remain stationary and having the top member movable. This could be accomplished by having1 the top of the case movably attached to the case and having the card held stationary by the lower part of the case.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a game device of the type described a manually movable card member on which are inscribed indicia representing the card-value holdings and the sequence of play thereof of four players, the indicia on said card being arranged in four substantially parallel rows of which the two exterior rows represent respectively the cardvalue holdings of two players who are partners in the game and the two interior parallel rows represent the card-valueholdings respectively of two other players who are partners opposing the aforementioned partners.

2. In a device of the type described a card. member on which are inscribed indicia representing the card-value holdings and the sequence of play thereof of four players, the indicia on said card being arranged in four substantially parallel rows of which the two exterior rows represent respectively the card-value holdings of two players who are partners in the game and the two interior rows `represent the cardvalue holding respectively of the two other players who are partners opposing the aforementioned partners, and on which card member there is inscribed in another row which is substantially parallel to the said four rows a series of positioning-indicia, the spacing distances between the individual positioning-indicia in said row corresponding to the spacing distances between the individual card-value indicia in any one of the said four rows.

3. A single-player game apparatus for simulating a four-player game comprising in combination a card member on which are inscribed four parallel rows of indicia, said rows being identified respectively as row number one, row number two, row number three, and row number four, and said rows representing respectively the cardvalue holdings and the sequence or" play thereof of the four players, a case member whose top is positioned above said card member and serves as a mask therefor, said top and said card being relatively movable to each other, an aperture through said top member which co-operates with said row number one, an aperture through said top member which co-operates with said row number two, an aperture through said top member which co-operates with said row number three, an aperture through said top member which co-operates with said row number four, the size of each of said apertures being approximately that of a single indicium on said card member, 4manually movable shutter members mounted on said case member whereby the View of said indicia through said apertures can be concealed or exposed, together with manual means of changing the relative positions of said card member and said top member.

4. A playing-sheet member adaptable foruse in a card-game apparatus of the type described which has inscribed thereon four groups of actual card-value indicia, each of said groups of indicia representing respectively one of the four players of a pre-determined game, the arrangement of the indicia which comprise each group being in the order of the sequence of play of the card values in the pre-determined game by the player which said group represents, and which also has inscribed thereon elsewhere a plurality of groups of said card-value indicia, each of said latter groups representing respectively the `card values held by one of the players, the arrangement of the indicia which comprise said latter groups being different than the order of sequence of play of the card-values in the pre-determined game.

5. In game educational apparatus, a chart having four parallel rows of card indicia thereon corresponding respectively to four hands of a card game, each row indicating the preferred order of bidding and playing the cards of a given hand; and a relatively movable mask for said chart havingl window means therein to expose said indicia as said mask and said chart are moved relatively to each other longitudinally of said rows of indicia.

RUSSELL LEO WILLIS. 

